Unhinged Episode #053: Hey Brother

We’re back for our final show of 2017 (we’ll be back in January). This episode is a little bit different since the bulk of it is an actual recording of our typical pre-show planning discussion. Doug had mentioned in the past that we should probably start recording these talks, and this week that’s just what I did. Since that conversation got pretty personal and fairly deep, we decided to just play it as the main topic of this week’s show.

What follows below is a timeline of how the episode is structured. We start with a song clip and a discussion of the past two weeks. The full pre-show discussion starts nearly 19 minutes in.

0:00 – 00:57
Clip of original song “Hey Brother”

00:58 – 01:20
Unhinged Intro

01:21 – 18:55
We explain a bit about why we were absent for the last two weeks. Doug talks a bit about his struggles this holiday season so far, and we briefly chat about traumatic brain injuries in sports and the death of a UFC fighter.

18:56 – 01:07:02Recording of pre-show discussion. This is the meat of this episode where Doug and I talk freely, usually to prepare the show for the day, but this time we discussed Doug’s slight downturn in mood in the last two weeks. He starts the conversation in a pretty low state, upset about his lot in life and feeling insecure about his future. We go back and forth for a while on feelings, distortion, and socialization. The conversation gets interrupted by a call from Doug’s sister. We ended our pre-show discussion after Doug talked to Laurie, and at that point recorded the opening to the this show.

01:07:03 – 01:08:25
I explain how Doug’s mood had shifted noticeably after our discussion and his interaction with his sister. The social interaction had improved his general state greatly. This is good data.

The next day (Monday), Doug and I talked again and his turnaround was even more pronounced. He even admitted how he felt better after hearing his sister’s voice the day before.

Comments ( 2 )

Hey guys, have to admit that this was a really hard show to listen to. I know that the holidays can be tough for people
who are socially isolated and/or have limited supports, but I think that this episode was a little too brutally honest.
A very frank and deeply personal cri-de-coeur to be sure, but the hypothetical drug talk at the beginning of the show
brought back very painful memories of my now-dead father's substance abuse issues. Drugs didn't kill him directly as
he was sober when he passed (15 years ago next month), but the horrible toll they took on his liver prematurely took
his life at the too-young age of 56. If Doug is really having such strong cravings/obsessive thoughts about numbing his
pain with street drugs, then perhaps he should attend some AA or NA meetings or call up a crisis hotline. On a lighter
note, looking forward to hearing the completed version of "Hey Brother" (A subtle tip of the hat to Rare Earth, no?!?)
Happy holidays to you both as well as a terrific 2018!!! Avery.

Thanks for the feedback, Avery! Sorry for the frank drug discussion. Unfortunately, that was how Doug felt at the time, but he was feeling worse than we all thought. After the show, when his mood improved greatly, his entire outlook changed.
Yes, "Hey, Brother" definitely has that Rare Earth vibe, and that was intentional. Good ear!

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Unhinged: Talking Mental

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